Exploring Crimefighters Incorporated: The Boys’ Prequel Unveils One of the Series’ Most Enigmatic Teams

The Boys has quickly emerged as one of the most talked-about superhero franchises. This popularity is ironic given that both the comic and its televised adaptation openly criticize traditional superhero narratives. Despite this, The Boys has solidly established its place in the genre, particularly with the introduction of the spin-off series Gen V and the anticipated prequel titled Vought Rising. The latter will allow fans to delve into a specific team of superheroes that has remained largely unexplored even in the original comic series.

In The Boys #54, crafted by Garth Ennis, John McCrea, and Keith Burns, Hughie Campbell and Greg Mallory (the initial founder of the Boys) engage in a compelling discussion about the origins of superheroes. They highlight a significant historical juncture: Vought-American’s supes initially served in the military but faced a swift withdrawal after a disastrous operation led to numerous American casualties. Following this setback, Vought-American cleverly rebranded these champions as domestic defenders, eventually naming them Crimefighters Incorporated.

Mallory reading about a new team of supes in the newspaper in The Boys.

Eventually, Crimefighters Incorporated transformed into the superhero team known as Payback, an apparent parody of Marvel’s Avengers. In the timeline of The Boys, the transition to this new identity took time, indicating that they initially operated as Crimefighters Incorporated at least until the 1950s. Notably, this team represents a second generation of heroes; all members, including Soldier Boy, perished alongside the soldiers in their ill-fated military stint. This leaves a gap in The Boys lore that viewers and readers alike have yet to fully explore.

Understanding Crimefighters Incorporated

Unpacking The Mysterious Team of Supes

Comic book art: The original lineup of the supe team Payback in The Boys comics.

The members of Crimefighters Incorporated included Soldier Boy, The Steel Knight, Laddio, Eagle the Archer, ManBot, The Buzzer, and Crimson Countess. Their introduction came through a front-page article in The Washington Post, much to Mallory’s astonishment, as he had witnessed the former holders of these identities perish. This twist revealed that a new generation had taken up these mantle, yet their approach would diverge completely from their predecessors, focusing on domestic heroism instead of military operations.

This team is recognized as the first superhero collective in The Boys universe, setting the stage for future groups like Payback and the Seven under the Vought-American banner. While specific stories surrounding Crimefighters Incorporated remain scarce, we can infer their nature by examining the behavior of more contemporary superhero teams within The Boys. Generally, it appears they were a corrupt faction, fulfilling Vought’s agenda without genuine heroism.

Such ambiguity raises intriguing questions. At that time, the Boys hadn’t formed yet under Mallory’s guidance. Did Crimefighters Incorporated function unopposed? Certainly, the supes weren’t effectively combating crime but likely engaged in reckless behavior typical of their ilk, raising the query—what battles were they truly fighting? With Vought Rising on the horizon, there’s an exciting opportunity to delve into this unexplored chapter of The Boys’ narrative.

Exploring Legacy Characters Through Crimefighters Incorporated

Legacy Heroes: A Subversive Take on a Comic Book Trope

The superheroes of Crimefighters Incorporated, including Soldier Boy and Eagle the Archer, serve as parodies of iconic characters like Captain America and Hawkeye, indicative of their roles within a legacy hero framework. The characterizations echo the generational transitions witnessed in superhero legacies, as seen with Sam Wilson taking up Captain America’s shield and Kate Bishop inheriting Hawkeye’s archery skills.

However, in the universe of The Boys, passing on a superhero name is fraught with cynicism. Unlike Marvel, where a hero empowers a successor, in The Boys, the creation of legacy heroes is a greedy enterprise aimed at preserving Vought-American’s intellectual property, capitalizing on brand recognition to maintain profit margins.

Crimefighters Incorporated critically examines the tendency of comic book publishers to recycle legacy characters ostensibly to sustain interest in established superheroes rather than innovate new narratives. This critique adds depth, enabling The Boys to take a firm stand against the superhero genre’s conventions across both comics and films. With the upcoming prequel series, there exists a significant opportunity to explore this nuanced commentary that the original comics only hinted at.

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